Door and jamb construction



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I m I G. C. RUSSELL DOOR AND JAMB CONSTRUCTION Nov. 23,1965 Filed April 8, 1965 INVENTOR GORDON C. RUSSELL A en Nov. 23, 1965G. c. RUSSELL DOOR AND JAMB CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8,1965 INVENTOR. GORDON C. RUSSELL Agent United States Patent 3,218,678DOUR AND JAMB CONSTRUCTION Gordon C. Russell, Studio fity, Califi,assignor to Loci heed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Fiied Apr.8, 1963, Ser. No. 271,430 3 Claims. (Cl. -16) This invention pertains tonew and improved door jambs and to new and improved doors for use withthese jambs and to members which are used with both such door jambs anddoors.

A great deal of time and money has been devoted to providing buildingsof various types which are constructed so that the walls, ceilings,roofs and in many cases the floors of such buildings are formed ofidentical structural panels. requentiy some panels are constructedutilizing a core of a cellular material such as expanded polystyrene orthe like laminated between two rigid sides. Panels of this type are veryadvantageous for use in various types of buildings for a number ofreasons. Among these reasons is the fact that panels of this type arecapable of serving a structural function and thus serve as more thanmere area covering or enclosing members.

Conventional jamb and header constructions such as are commonly used toenclose a door opening in a conventional building are not considereddesirable for use in creating door openings from building panels of thegeneral category indicated in the preceding paragraphs because of thenature of such conventional constructions. Further, it is consideredundesirable from a cost standpoint to utilize conventional doors withbuilding panels as indicated in the preceding because of the fact thatthe material removed from one of these panels in order to create a dooropening is capable of being used as a door. In order to use such a partof a building panel as a door, it is necessary to finish off the edgesof it so as to protect the core of such a panel from damage.

An object of the present invention is to provide trim members which arecapable of being used so as to finish off the edges of a part of abuilding panel so as to form a door, and which are also capable of beingused in conjunction with an opening within such a panel in order to forma door jamb. As used herein, this term jamb includes not only thevertical members at the sides of such an opening, but a horizontalmember at the top of such an opening such as is commonly referred to asa header.

Further objects of this invention are to provide new and improved doorjambs and new and improved doors formed from such trim members.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide trimmembers as indicated in the preceding paragraph which may be easilymanufactured at a comparatively nominal cost.

A related object of the invention is to provide door jamb constructionswhich may be easily manufactured or created using such trim members at acomparatively nominal cost and which are capable of providing adequateservice in use.

Another very closely related object of the invention is to providecomplete doors or door constructions which may be easily andconveniently created using such trim members and which also are capableof serving satisfactorily.

These and various other objects of this invention as well as manyspecific advantages of it will be apparent from a detailed considerationof the remainder of this specification, and appended claims and theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a structural or building panelcontaining a door opening bounded Patented Nov. 23, 1965 by a door jambof this invention, this opening containing a door constructed inaccordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 33 of FIGURE 1.

The accompanying drawings are primarily intended so as to clearlyillustrate a presently preferred trim member of this invention utilizedin presently preferred door jamb and door. From a careful considerationof this drawing and of the remainder of this specification it will berealized that various minor changes of a routine engineering nature maybe made in the subject matter illustrated without departing from thescope of this invention as set forth or defined by the appended claims.

Although the nature of this invention is considered to be fullysummarized by these claims it can be indicated in essentially summaryform that this invention concerns a trim member for use as a door jamband as an edge structure for a door, this trim member including: twoparallel side walls of unequal length; cross walls attached to frontedges of these side walls so as to extend therefrom at a right angle; aconnecting wall connecting the cross walls midway between the sidewalls, this connecting wall extending at a right angle to the crosswalls.

A trim member of this type preferaby also includes groove-like notchesin the side walls for use in holding a sealing member, means formed onthe side walls for use in engaging and positioning the trim member withrespect to a building panel, and means for holding a sealing gasket onone of the cross walls. As a trim member of this type is used in eithera door jamb or a door in accordance with this invention it is located onan exposed edge of a building panel or a portion of a building panel soas to protect the interior of the panel and so as to extend acomparatively short distance from the edge of it.

The actual details of this invention are best and more fully explainedby referring directly to the drawings. Here there is shown a door jambit) of this invention utilized in connection with a door 12 constructedin accordance with this invention. The jamb 10 is used to bound at dooropening 14 formed in a building or structural panel 16. Preferably, thecentral portion 18 of the door 12 is formed out of the portion of thepanel 16 separated from it when the door opening 14 is created. Thus,both the central portion 18 of the door 12 and the panel 15 areconstructed in the same manner in the preferred embodiments of thisinvention illustrated. The panel 1 6 and the central portion 18 of thedoor 12 each includes a cellular core 20 such as a core of expanded,porous polystyrene, a core of rigid polyurethane foam, or the like, thiscore 20 being laminated between rigid sides 22. The door opening 14 andthe central portion 18 of the door 12 can be easily cut from a panel ofthis type using conventional equipment.

Preferably, the portions of the core 20 adjacent to and surrounding thedoor opening 14 are removed in a similar manner in creating a completejamb and a complete door in accordance with this invention so as toprovide spaces 24 extending between the sides 22. These spaces arefilled with elongated wooden members 26; these Wooden members 26 beingpreferably secured in place through the use of a conventional adhesive(not shown), although, if desired, other equivalent forms of fasteningmeans can be employed in order to hold them in position. When so used,the wooden members 26 extend between the ends 28 of the sides 22 on thecentral portion 18 of the door 12 and around or along the door opening14.

A trim member Si) is used in combination with each of the wooden members26 in creating the jamb 10 and the door 12. Although these members 30can be formed out of a number of different materials such as aluminum orother rigid metals it is presently preferred to form them out of a rigidthermoplastic material. A number of different well known thermoplasticmaterials can be used in forming the members 30. As an example of this,various rigid polymers formed by the polymerization of formaldehyde canbe used; similarly rigid polyvinyl chloride or other equivalents can beemployed in creating a member 39. Such thermoplastic materials areconsidered advantageous for use with the present invention because oftheir comparatively light weight and because of the fact that they canbe easily formed to a desired shape by known, conventional extrusiontechniques.

The shape of a member 30 used with this invention is considered to besignificant in obtaining a satisfactory door or jamb such as the door 12on the jamb 16. From an examination of FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing itwill be seen that each of the members 30 employed with the jamb 1t? andthe door 12 has a comparatively short first side wall 32 and a longersecond side wall 34. These side walls 32 and 34 extend generallyparallel to one another and are spaced a distance apart whichcorresponds to the distance between the exposed surfaces of the sides22. Each of the side walls 32 and 34 includes at its rear end 35 asloping holding wall 36 which is connected to a positioning wall 3S.These positioning walls 38 are parallel to one another and to the sidewalls 32 and 34, each of them carrying an internally projecting flange40.

In the member 30 a first'cross wall 42 is attached to the front edge 44of the first side wall 32 so as to extend from such first side wall at aright angle to a position approximately midway between the side walls 32and 34. A corresponding cross wall 46 extends from the front edge 48 ofthe second side wall 34 in the same manner. These cross walls 42 and 46are connected by a connecting wall 50 which extends perpendicular tothem and which extends parallel to the side walls 32 and 34. Preferably,a second wall 500 approximately equal in length and parallel to theconnecting wall 50 extends from the cross wall 42 to cooperate with thewall 50 in forming a generally U-shaped channel enclosing a groove 52,the base 54 of the groove 52 appearing as an extension of the firstcross wall 42 and the connectingwall 50 serving as a side of this groove52. This groove 52 may, if desired, be omitted. When it is usedpreferably parallel positioning flanges 56 are formed on the base 54 soas to extend from it a distance sufiicient that these flanges 56terminate in the same plane as the flanges 40.

In forming the jamb and the door 12 the various members 39 constructedas described are located in the positions indicated in FIGURES 2 and 3of the drawing, and are mounted to the wood members 26 thru the use ofconventional wood screws 53. These screws 58 are located so as to extendthrough the bases 54 of the grooves 52 between the positioning flanges56. As they are employed they pull the positioning walls 38 against thewood members 26 so as to hold the flanges 40 against the surfaces ofthese wood members 26. As the screws 58 are tightened they also forcethe positioning flanges 56 against these wood members. Thus, each of themembers 30 includes four different parts-the ends of the two positioningflanges 56 and the flanges 40-which serve to cause satisfactory spacingof a member 30 with respect to a wood member 26.

After a member 30 has been installed in this manner it may be finishedoff by the insertion of a sealing strip 68 of a generally trapezoidalcross-sectional configuration against each positioning wall 38, incontact with the ad jacent holding wall 36, and against the ends 28 ofthe sides 22. The sloping configuration of the holding walls 36 aid inmaintaining the sealing strips 68 in position. If desired, aconventional adhesive (not shown) may be used to secure the strips 68 inplace, or if desired, other equivalent fastening means can be employed.The sealing strips 68 used preferably are of a relatively soft,resilient material such as polychlorprene or the equivalent.

A similar material is preferably also used in creating a hollow sealingstrip 70 which is located within each of the grooves 52. Such a strip 70is preferably of slightly larger dimensions than the space available toreceive it within a groove 52 so as to extend from the roove withinwhich it is disposed a comparatively short distance. The strips 70employed cover the screws 58 so as to protect them against ambientconditions. These strips 70 may also be secured in place through the useof a conventional adhesive (not shown).

When the members 30 are installed within the door opening 14 and thecentral portion 18, the jamb 10 and the door 12 are technicallycomplete. However, in order to install the door 12 within the jamb 10 itis necessary to connect the door 12 with the jamb through the use ofhinges 72. Such hinges are preferably of the type that cannot be seenWhen the door is in a closed position. The hinges 72 are installed bycutting away appropriate portions of the members 30 where they are to beused and portions of the wood members 26 in the same areas, and by beingattached to the remainders of these wood members by means of screws 74.

When the door 12 has been hung through the use of the hinges 72 asexplained in the preceding, it is capable of being used as a door. Acommon lock assembly 76 is mounted upon the door 12 within a hole 78created in the central portion 18 of the door 12 adjacent one of thewood members 26. A hole 80 is formed in this member 26 for the purposeof receiving a latch bolt sub-assembly 82 which is connected to andforms a part of the lock assembly 76. A conventional latch plate 84 maybe secured in a conventional manner opposite the latch bolt sub-assembly82 for the obvious purpose. The appropriate portions of the members 30adjacent to the latch bolt sub-assembly 82 and for latch plate 84 are,of course, cut away so as to permit the installation of this latch boltsub-assembly.

From a detailed consideration of the preceding it will be realized thatthe jamb 10 and the door 12 are relatively simple structures which arecapable of being easily and conveniently manufactured. It will befurther realized that the members 30 used in the door 12 and the jamb 1tfit against one another when this door is closed within this jamb so asto form an effective, relatively simple labyrinth type of seal againstwind, rain and other ambient conditions. It will be further realizedthat the sealing strips 70 aid in creating such a seal and that thesealing strip 68 effectively protects the panel 16 and the centralportion 18 against any danger resulting from ambient influencescontacting the cores 20.

Because of the nature of this invention it is to be considered as beinglimited solely by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A door jamb which comprises:

(a) a building panel having a door opening formed therein;

(b) a structural shape bounding edges of said door opening, saidstructural shapes each being secured to said building panel and eachincluding;

(c) first and second side walls of unequal length located parallel toone another, each of said side walls having a front and a rear end, eachsaid rear end including a positioning wall recessed from the balance ofsaid side wall, engaging said panel and defining with said panel alongitudinal recess, a sealing strip being positioned in said recess;

((1) first and second cross walls extending inward from the front endsof said first and second side walls and generally parallel to oneanother;

(e) connecting wall means connecting the extremities of said cross wallsremote from said side walls and disposed parallel to said side walls;

(f) a separate wall parallel to and spaced from said connecting wall andextending from one of said cross walls away from the edge of the dooropening to define a groove with said last-mentioned cross wall and saidconnecting wall;

(g) sealing member means positioned within said groove means so as toextend therefrom and contact a cross Wall of a similar structural shapeupon a door when such door is disposed within said door jamb in a closedrelation; and

(h) positioning means extending from said last-mentioned cross wallopposite said connecting wall and said separate wall to contact the edgeof the door opening.

2. A door structure which comprises:

(a) a panel serving as a central portion of a door; and

(b) a structural shape bounding edges of said panel, said structuralshapes being secured to said panel and each including;

(c) first and second side walls of unequal length located parallel toone another, each of said side walls having a front and a rear end, eachsaid rear end including a positioning wall recessed from the balance ofsaid side wall, engaging said panel and defining with said panel alongitudinal recess, a sealing strip being positioned in said recess;

(d) first and second cross walls extending inward from the front ends ofsaid first and second side walls and generally parallel to another;

(e) connecting wall means connecting the extremities of said cross Wallsremote from said side walls and disposed parallel to said side walls;

(f) a separate wall parallel to and spaced from said connecting wall andextending from one of said cross walls away from said panel to define agroove with said last-mentioned cross wall and said connecting wall;

(g) sealing member means positioned within said groove so as to extendtherefrom and contact a cross wall of a similar structural shape upon adoor jamb when said door is disposed within such door jamb in a closedrelation; and

(h) positioning means extending from said last-mentioned cross wallopposite said connecting wall and said separate wall to contact thepanel edge.

3. A door and door jamb construction which comprises:

(a) a building panel having a door opening formed therein;

(b) a panel serving as a central portion of a door located within saiddoor opening; and

(c) a structural shape bounding edges of said panel serving as a centralportion of a door and the opposed edges of said door opening in saidpanel, each of said structural shapes being secured to the surface uponwhich it is disposed, adapted to sealably engage the other saidstructural shape, and each including,

(d) first and second side walls of unequal length located parallel toone another, each of said side walls having a front and a rear end, eachsaid rear end includ ing a positioning wall recessed from the balance ofsaid side walls; engaging said panel portion which it bounds anddefining with such panel portion a longitudinal recess, a sealing stripbeing positioned in said recess;

(e) first and second cross Walls extending from the front ends of saidfirst and second side walls and generally parallel to one another,

(if) connecting wall means connecting the extremities of said crosswalls remote from said side walls and disposed parallel to said sidewalls;

g) a separate wall substantially parallel to and spaced from saidconnecting wall and extending from one of said cross walls to define agroove with said lastmentioned cross wall and said connecting wall, and

(h) sealing member means positioned within said groove means so as toextend therefrom and sealably engage a cross wall of a similarstructural shape upon the other said structural shape when said door andsaid jamb are mutually engaged, and

(i) positioning means extending from said last-mentioned cross wallopposite said connecting wall and said separate wall to contact the edgeof the respective panel portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,454,523 11/1948Philip 189-46 2,766,858 10/1956 Johnson et al 189-46 2,869,501 1/1959Stransky 20-69 X 2,893,075 7/1959 Potchen et al. 20-74 2,896,271 7/1959'Kloote et al 20-15 X HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

1. A DOOR JAMB WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A BUILDING PANEL HAVING A DOOROPENING FORMED THEREIN; (B) A STRUCTURAL SHAPE BOUNDING EDGES OF SAIDDOOR OPENING, SAID STRUCTURAL SHAPES EACH BEING SECURED TO SAID BUILDINGPANEL AND EACH INCLUDING; (C) FIRST AND SECOND SIDE WALLS OF UNEQUALLENGTH LOCATED PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING AFRONT AND A REAR END, EACH SAID REAR END INCLUDING A POSITIONING WALLRECESSED FROM THE BALANCE OF SAID SIDE WALL, ENGAGING SAID PANEL ANDDEFINING WITH SAID PANEL A LONGITUDINAL RECESS, A SEALING STRIP BEINGPOSITIONED IN SAID RECESS; (D) FIRST AND SECOND CROSS WALLS EXTENDINGINWARD FROM THE FRONT ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIDE WALLS ANDGENERALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER; (E) CONNECTING WALL MEANS CONNECTINGTHE EXTREMITIES OF SAID CROSS WALLS REMOTE FROM SAID SIDE WALLS ANDDISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE WALLS; (F) A SEPARATE WALL PARALLEL TOAND SPACED FROM SAID CONNECTING WALL AND EXTENDING FROM ONE OF SAIDCROSS WALLS AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF THE DOOR OPENING TO DEFINE A GROOVEWITH SAID LAST-MENTIONED CROSS WALL AND SAID CONNECTING WALL; (G)SEALING MEMBER MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID GROOVE MEANS SO AS TO EXTENDTHEREFROM AND CONTACT A CROSS WALL OF A SIMILAR STRUCTURAL SHAPE UPON ADOOR WHEN SUCH DOOR IS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID DOOR JAMB IN A CLOSEDRELATION; AND (H) POSITIONING MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID LAST-MENTIONEDCROSS WALL OPPOSITE SAID CONNECTING WALL AND SAID SEPARATE WALL TOCONTACT THE EDGE OF THE DOOR OPENING.